Tuesday, 8 July 2014

Cleaning up the neighbourhood

It's still going on for the sake of commerce - this last remaining, Victorian shop front survived all these years due to neglect, and now there is absolutely NOTHING left of it at all - including the stone, because nobody had bothered to list it.

Bath's Longacre got a bad name when all the West Indians moved into that area you see, which is why nobody cared. This is sadly true. Then it became politic to try to tart the area up, because the property prices would reflect a good upward turn if it was done.

The worst thing is that it was demolished by a friend of mine.

I called him up and asked what was going to be done with it, and he said it was going to be burned - did I want it?

Ha! I like Rachel's comment... Is that part of the ignoring it strategy?It seems that the only old buildings left in Vancouver, and by old I mean less than 150 years old, are in the poorest section of town, which is now being gentrified. I almost bought one 20 years ago when they were dirt cheap - impossible to do now with prices hitting millions despite the disrepair. And I would have ignored my building properly, except for a studio space. I'd have none of this spindly-front-wall-propped-up-over new development type of thing.

Yes, I've forgotten the full name, but the man who runs it gets people to make stuff by hand, then sells it - as far as I can make out. I think it is called, 'The Inspired Maker', or something similar.

Ah yes - that's a bunch of bored housewives who have decided to create a shop which teaches other bored housewives how to knit or do other stuff which mothers are supposed to do whilst their kids are at nursery school.